Stem cells have been the focus of intense research for many years. There is inherent interest in the biology and function of stem cells as well as significant interest in their potential therapeutic uses.
In the medical field, researchers believe that stem cells have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of certain human diseases. Indeed, a number of adult stem cell therapies already exist, such as bone marrow transplants that are used in the treatment of leukemia. In the future, medical researchers anticipate being able to use technologies derived from stem cell research to treat a wide range of diseases including cancer, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and muscle damage, amongst a number of other impairments and conditions.
For ongoing stem cell research and the development of stem cell-based therapies in the future, there is need for efficacious and cost-effective ways of culturing stem cells. In particular, there is a need for culture media that can maintain the viability and phenotype of stem cells during storage, transport and culturing. There is also a need for a stem cell culture medium which can be: (i) easily sterilized; (ii) eliminates or minimizes the presence of biological material; and (iii) permits the stem cells to be easily collected and isolated from the culture medium when desired.
Current stem cell media products on the market use animal-derived materials, which are sub-optimal due to the batch-to-batch variability in their composition.
The objective of the present invention is therefore to provide a medium for stem cells which addresses some or all of the aforementioned requirements.